Americans Wrongfully Held in China Return Home for the Holidays

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Americans Wrongfully Held in China Return Home

(NewsNation) — Americans Wrongfully Held in China Return Home. This week, three Americans were released from detention in China as part of a prisoner exchange, just in time for the holiday season.

Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung arrived at a military base in San Antonio, Texas, on Wednesday night. All three had been classified by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained in China. According to officials and humanitarian organizations, they were arrested on arbitrary and unlawful charges.

Swidan was apprehended on drug-related charges during a business trip to Beijing in 2012, where he was sentenced to death. Both Kai Li and Leung faced espionage accusations.

U.S. President Joe Biden addressed reporters Thursday morning, stating that he had spoken with all three released Americans.

“I’m really happy they’re home,” Biden expressed during a visit in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Mark Swidan’s mother shared a photo on X, featuring her son alongside U.S. Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, and Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, expressing her gratitude.

“So grateful!” she posted. “My son, American Mark Swidan, walked off the plane to me last night after spending 12 years wrongfully detained in China.”

Harrison Li, son of Kai Li, expressed his joy for his father’s return, along with Swidan and Leung.

“Thank you, @POTUS, and everyone who made this day finally possible,” Harrison Li wrote. “Please continue bringing them home.”

China’s foreign ministry confirmed that the U.S. returned four individuals, including at least three Chinese citizens held for what they described as “political purposes.”

Mel Gibson, an actor and advocate for Swidan’s release, shared a video thanking several individuals, including NewsNation anchor Elizabeth Vargas, for their efforts in highlighting the issue.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson
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